You Were Expecting...

Now that the SBOE has finally slammed the gavel down on the Social Studies student expectations, I am sure many of you that I know were somewhat waiting on me to virtually explode. While that makes entertaining video for youtube, it really becomes yet another asshole with an opinion when expressed in written form.

But seeing that I am such a person that can be described as a sphincter with an attitude...

It comes to me as no surprise that the hearings plus the final vote went the way that it did. When people who, for the most part, write curriculum when they have never stepped foot in a classroom, disaster will ensue. When people begin to change what happened in the past and add in what they feel is important against all suggestions from field professionals, our children grow up with no sense of history at all. When prejudice and political agendas run what our future leaders are taught, society suffers.

They were charged to review what the committees had written and then avoid writing the curriculum. Alas, they decided to give a virtual kick in the groin to the educators, not to mention the former Secretary of Education, and continue on with skipping down the path of ignorance. I am sure many of the SBOE went home the other night patting themselves on their narrow-minded backs thinking they have accomplished great things.

If they truly understood history, then they would realize of what it takes to accomplish "truly great things." Rewriting history to fit personal agendas, bringing back ignorance and prejudice, and misconstruing facts does not qualify.

I feel for those of us who now have the job of mowing through this quagmire of a "balanced" curriculum and transmit the intentions of the new standards to our children. We must, for it will be tested to the letter...

-WTS